Cornered With Concerns
by pandanarchy
Summary: A series of different RinTori fluff. Initially, Nitori skips swimming practice and Rin doesn't know how to handle his emotions. They're both worried about each other but neither wants to be the first to admit it. It gets gayer from there and none of the chapters are connected, really. Just a few things I'm writing for someone.
1. Chapter 1

**Written for Tumblr user dramaticalpiercedpeen**

"Oi, Nitori." Rin's voiced carved through the silence of the room like a knife. Or a better analogy might have been like a swimmer's stroke carving through the water. Either way, the sudden noise startled Nitori, especially since he hadn't heard him come in. The young boy looked up from his History textbook in a slight daze, just in time to see a damp towel being flung angrily across the back of Rin's desk chair. _Didn't he dry off properly in the changing rooms?_ But Nitori didn't have enough time to follow that train of thought since Rin, with a fierce scowl marring his features, had planted his butt on the end of Nitori's bed, the old mattress sagging under his weight.

"Why weren't you at practice?" Rin growled, his voice low and uneven. Nitori had to suppress a small shudder; this wasn't the first time Rin's anger had been directed at him but he could never get used to it. Rin's shoulders were hunched and his muscles were tensed in a way that made him look like he was about to start pacing at any moment. A restless aura surrounded him and Nitori realised he should probably choose his words very carefully.

"W-well..." he stammered, his voice wavering involuntarily. Not a good start. Rin suddenly let out a rough sigh and tilted his head to meet Nitori's eyes. With those piercing red eyes focussed on his face, Nitori suddenly felt uncomfortable, fidgeting where he sat and trying to stall for more time. He could feel the blush creeping up his neck and he could only hope Rin wouldn't notice. "I was...I had an errand to run," he offered as a lame excuse. "I'm sorry, Senpai," he added hastily, bowing his head apologetically.

Rin's eyes flared with intensity for a fraction of a second and his mouth twitched like he was going to reflexively say something, but instead he narrowed his eyes and averted his gaze to the floor, another sigh rolling off his chest. "Whatever," he mumbled in an almost defeated tone. Most of the tension faded from his body and his eyebrows finally unfurrowed. "Don't blame me when you don't make your heat in the tournament." He tried to say it nonchalantly, but Nitori pinpointed the hint of emotion lingering beneath his mildly relaxed expression.

"I won't let the team down, Senpai!" Nitori exclaimed suddenly, balling his fists. "I can promise you that!" Even though the red tinge had spread to his cheeks, he managed to keep his tone firm and stared directly at Rin, who blinked in response.

"I know that," Rin replied, snorting casually and fluffing up Nitori's hair with one hand.

"Anyway," Nitori mumbled, clearing his throat and feeling self-conscious again. He wriggled his body and shuffled his legs until they dangled over the edge of the bed, leaning his elbows on his knees so his posture imitated Rin's. He entwined his fingers and twiddled his thumbs, struggling to find a new conversational topic. "Ah! How was practice today?" he asked curiously. He'd heard from a few team members that Captain Mikoshiba was going to try out new sets today. A small part of him was glad to have missed out, but the majority of him just felt endlessly guilty.

"Fine," Rin replied, his tone flat. Without any kind of warning, he suddenly flopped backward on the bed. Nitori watched as Rin's eyes lazily slid closed and his chest rose and fell with his lethargic breathing. "Nitori," he said after a moment. "Why weren't you at practice?" His tone was surprisingly gentle, a far cry from earlier. There was also something about the repetition of his question that told Nitori he wouldn't let it go so easily.

Nitori swallowed the lump in his throat, his hands turning pale from strangling each other in his lap. Lying there like that, Rin looked so peaceful. Like there was no pressure to place at the tournament. Like he wasn't feeling homesick. Like he wasn't missing his old friends. Of course, Nitori knew all those things had been plaguing Rin's conscience, eating at the back of his mind like relentless rust and corroding his control over himself. But right then, he just seemed...free of all that.

And Nitori's answer would probably shatter that carefree attitude. Not the one that Rin constructed to stop people from worrying about him, but the one that he'd shown only very few people in a moment of weakness. The one Nitori was witnessing now. He didn't want to be responsible for disturbing that.

"I went to talk to your sister," he replied finally. His voice seemed muffled to his own ears, distant and surreal. If the peace he'd been experiencing had been a sheet of glass, he felt certain the pieces would have been broken and scattered all over the floor, leaving no path to escape. If he'd tried to escape, his feet would have been cut. He realised it was better to endure the situation rather than avoid it.

As Rin's abdominal muscles worked to lift his body upright, time seemed to slow down. His eyes were dark, his eyebrows coming together in an expression of exasperation, and his teeth clenched in irritation. "Why?" he demanded. His voice was controlled, displaying the scariest kind of anger. Nitori had seen it before, but he still sat in astonishment, eyes wide at the transition that had just taken place. Just a moment ago, Rin had shown his untroubled side, but now he was fuming again and Nitori could only blame himself.

"I'm so sorry, Senpai!" Nitori began, choking up as his eyes brimming with tears faster that he wanted to admit. He hated having Rin's anger directed at him. It made him feel lower than dirt. He wanted to take back this entire conversation, or even the day maybe. He wanted to rewind to that morning and start things fresh, but it was impossible. This situation was unavoidable.

Rin didn't respond. His facial expression and the set of his shoulders were frozen, only trembling slightly in his rage. Nitori thought that Rin was unpredictable when like this. He seemed controlled, but in reality, his anger was controlling him. Nitori knew he let his anger get the better of him far too often and ended up doing this he regretted. That was why...

"I'm just worried about you!" Nitori blurted, suddenly springing to his feet and facing Rin with his hands on his hips. "I wanted to know what's bothering you, but Gou said you never talk to her and you never go home."

"You already know what's bothering me," Rin replied darkly. So that was it. He felt violated, like some privacy contract had been voided. Nitori knew things about RIn that no one else was supposed to know, and that scared him. He didn't know how to react. It had been so long since anyone had ever been that close to him.

"But I haven't heard it from you," Nitori insisted. "Don't you think talking about it will help?" He felt his own body trembling slightly too. His heart was racing and his chest felt tight. He'd never felt this nervous before, not even on the starting blocks. "You can always talk to me, Senpai. I'll be here for you."

"Nitori..." Rin stared him dead in the eye and his expression slowly began to soften. He released one last sigh, and with that the tension seemed to drift away once more. "...Thank you," he said hesitantly, his gaze fixated on the floor again. "Right now...there's nothing I need to talk about. But if there ever is, I'll let you know..."

**A/N: Since people have started following/favouriting/reviewing this, I've decided I'll add more chapters at some point. Thank you to everyone, it really means a lot!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: This chapter isn't at all connected to the previous one and contains some slightly nsfw material. Sorry if you're disappointed by lack of story flow.**

"Rin-senpai..." Nitori murmured into the dark. His limbs were curled around Rin's body, absorbing his heat beneath the blankets. Rin could feel the erratic pounding of Nitori's heart through his ribcage and his gentle breathing.

"What is it, Ai?" Rin mumbled in return, twitching the arm he had wrapped around the smaller boy's waist. He'd started to lose feeling in his hand, which was a little irritating. _Damn brat. _He'd been trying induce rest by tracing the cracks in the ceiling with half-lidded eyes. The heat that they shared had almost lulled him to sleep, but Nitori's voice had broken the silence and brought his attention back to the waking world.

"Rin-senpai..." Nitori repeated, his voice was thick with sleep as well as...lust? At this hour? Maybe he'd just woken up from some kind of pleasant dream and hadn't snapped out of the euphoria yet. Rin had to stretch his neck to steal a glance at Nitori's face. _No_ _way. How is he asleep? Does this mean he's sleep-talking!?_

Rin was slightly taken aback. Nitori's arms wrapped around him even tighter, until their bodies couldn't be any closer. His hot breath tickled Rin's bare collarbones and sent a series of small shivers coursing along his spine. Nitori's slender hips ground against Rin's body and a weak moan escaped the boy's throat.

Rin was paralysed. If he moved, Nitori would probably wake up. But with Nitori's half-hard cock rubbing against his thigh, god did he want to move. His own dick was twitching in his underwear and he wanted to do something about it.

Quietly clearing his throat, Rin placed his free hand on Nitori's shoulder and shook him gently. "Ai," he whispered. "Hey, Ai..." Faint mumbling was the only response he earned. _Who knew this kid was such a heavy sleeper? He's worse than Nagisa_. Rin smiled to himself, deciding it was probably better to just let him sleep. He sighed deeply, partly from exhaustion and partly from sexual frustration. He ran his fingers through Nitori's soft hair, planting a gentle kiss on the top of his head. He'd get his own satisfaction tomorrow.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: This chapter contains NSFW content and it's rushed so it might be bad.**

Rin's eyes open slowly, his eyelids heavy with sleep. The first thing he becomes aware of is the warm body resting next to him. His vision is blurred and the room is still dark, the moon only just peeking in through the curtains that he hadn't closed properly. It's too early to be awake yet. He rolls over lazily, wrapping an arm around the figure beside him, who groans faintly in his sleep. Nitori's small body feels like it was made to fit against Rin's, like Rin were made to protect him from his nightmares.

Although a little while ago, Nitori was the one protecting Rin, it seemed. Rin smiled in the darkness, burying his face in Nitori's messy, silver hair and soaking in his scent. His hands trace the curves of Nitori's body, his fingertips memorising every little detail about him. He smells fresh like soap and he decided to sleep next to Rin even though he smelt like sour sweat after his run. There hadn't been enough time for a shower when Rin had gotten home and they'd both been so tired. It had been a long day.

In Rin's arms, Nitori stirs and sits up, blinking in a daze. He looks down at Rin, his silver hair glinting in the faint moonlight. "Morning," he mumbles, his eyes crinkling as he smiles. Rin rolls his eyes and cups Nitori's cheek gently with his hand, stroking beneath his eye with his thumb.

"Idiot, it's not even morning yet," Rin replies, his voice just as quiet as Nitori's. Despite the insult, Nitori can hear the affection filling Rin's voice, overflowing in his eyes. "Just go back to sleep," Rin says finally, with a sigh. He pats Nitori's head and tries to force him to lie down again, but Nitori just laughs at him.

"I'm already awake now," he argues, leaning on his elbow and biting his lip teasingly. Rin glares at him. Why does this always happen? Every single time that little shit wakes up before the alarm goes off, he teases Rin. He gets him hard just in time for the alarm to go off, and then there's not enough time to do anything about it.

"I don't think so," Rin mutters, tensing his abdominals to pull himself into a sitting position and startling Nitori. Before the younger boy can react, Rin has him pinned to the bed, holding him in place with his knees. "We still have time," Rin says slowly, his eyes trailing over Nitori's body. His frame is slender and delicate, but still muscular. He's lean and refined and Rin wants to tear his pants off.

"Rin," Nitori laughs, pushing him away and sitting up again. "Are you serious?"

"Yes, I'm serious!" he replies, his voice almost rising into a shout. "This isn't fair, Nitori!" He's aware that he's using a whiny tone, but at this point he doesn't care.

Nitori gives him a long, careful stare, thinking things over at a painfully slow rate. "Ok," he agrees finally, his hand reaching for Rin's crotch. "But you'd better be quick." Rin's mouth interrupts him before he can say anything else; meeting his lips with such force that Nitori is knocked back into the pillows.

Gasping for breath, Nitori's hand finds Rin again, slipping beneath the elastic of his boxers and touching his cock with light fingertips. Rin sucks in a breath of air between his teeth, kissing his way from Nitori's mouth to his neck. Nitori's hand grips Rin's half-hard cock and starts to pump him up and down, with exactly the firmness that he knows Rin likes.

On the bedside table, the alarm clock begins to sound. Rin slams it off with his hand, growling into Nitori's mouth, "You're not getting away this time." His voice is uneven and his cheeks are red, his cock stiffening with Nitori's skilled movements. He bucks his hips against Nitori's hand, but his underwear has suddenly become very restricting. He breaks away to remove it, kicking it away somewhere.

Nitori kisses his cheek tenderly, trying to ignore the warm, tingling feeling he's experiencing in his own pants. He wants Rin to touch him too, but they really wouldn't have time for that. He concentrates all of his energy on making Rin feel good, moving the head of his dick gently between his fingers. Rin's panting in his ear is gradually growing more frantic and he begins to emit the small grunting sounds that tell Nitori he's close to his limit already.

In a manner of minutes, Rin's vision goes blank and he moans against Nitori's shoulder, his entire body trembling with ecstasy as he comes. He hugs Nitori close as he ride the waves of pleasure that rack his body.

"Now we're running late," Nitori mutters.

Rin nips his ear. "It's your fault in the first place."


	4. Chapter 4

"What do you think you're doing?" Rin mumbled around his toothbrush, trying his hardest not to dribble toothpaste down his chin. Nitori's hand froze in the middle of reaching for Rin's wrist. Rin rolled his eyes and spat immodestly into the sink. "I can brush my own teeth, you know," he told Nitori, batting his hand away. But Nitori still hovered in the bathroom, watching Rin brush his teeth, pacing back and forth, fidgeting in the doorway, standing on his tip-toes to peer at the mirror over Rin's shoulder. "Seriously kid, what do you want?" Rin asked, laughing and almost choking on the toothpaste.

"Your Mum called the dorm room," Nitori admitted, biting his lip. "The dentist...Well, apparently you can't clean your own teeth." Rin's face flushed crimson, the colour of his cheeks almost matching his shorts. Nitori avoided his gaze, clearly suffering a case of second-hand embarrassment. "If you want...I can help you out," he offered shyly.

Rin stared at him for what seemed like a long time, a thousand thoughts racing through his head. _That would be stupid, wouldn't it? How weird would it be for a kouhai to teach me how to brush my teeth properly? Man, I really suck. But Mum...I don't want to burden her with dentist bills. God damn it. _"Fine!" he snapped suddenly, focussing on Nitori with a piercing glare. He hesitated, his breath catching in his throat as he became aware that he was misdirecting his anger again, even though he'd promised to try and work on that. He sighed heavily. "Um...sorry for yelling. Would you...help me out here?"

Nitori smiled, his expression entirely full of understanding. His eyes shone under the fluorescent light and it almost hurt Rin to look at him. _Damn, I really owe it to him to stop losing my temper._ Nitori pried Rin's toothbrush from his hand and Rin sat on the edge of the bath, clasping his hands in his lap and trying not to feel awkward as Nitori tapped his cheek with his fingertips, prompting him to open his mouth.

Rather reluctantly, Rin opened his mouth and allowed Nitori to begin brushing his teeth slowly, the toothbrush's bristles hard against his back teeth. "I'm actually amazed at how white they are!" Nitori commented, forcing himself to ignore Rin's awkward posture and continue smiling. Nitori explained in a quiet voice about the proper techniques of brushing your teeth, the way you move the head of the toothbrush and how long you should spent brushing your teeth every day. Rin felt incredibly stupid. He sat stiffly with his face ablaze.

"All done!" Nitori exclaimed, stepping back to allow Rin to rinse his mouth out. A heavy silence built a barrier between them and Nitori desperately wanted to break it down. He could tell from the tension in Rin's muscles that he was still pretty embarrassed about the whole thing. He wanted to say something to make him feel better, but nothing came to mind. "Oh, you should floss too," Nitori added, darting around Rin to search the cabinet drawers for the floss.

"...Thanks," Rin muttered, moving to leave the room. He couldn't look Nitori in the eye. His gums were bleeding slightly and his pride was wounded and he just wanted to listen to music and fall asleep. He vaguely hoped he could remember to brush his teeth like that tomorrow morning, and also wondered if he should start locking the bathroom door.

"Uh, wait, senpai," Nitori said suddenly. Rin paused in the doorway, cocking his head and waiting for him to continue. "Don't you...want to know how to floss?" Nitori kept his voice quiet, well aware that he may have just set his foot down in a mine field.

"Not today," Rin replied, struggling to keep his voice level. He promised himself he wouldn't snap at Nitori again. And he intended to keep that promise.


	5. Chapter 5

Of course it would rain on the one day that Nitori hadn't checked the weather channel. A harsh wind whipped through the trees, bending the branches almost to breaking point, and the rusty tin roof above his head hummed as raindrops pattered against it. A few drops of water trickled down his neck and he shuddered, glancing up and noticing the run-down state of the bus shelter for the first time. The wooden frame creaked against the force of the wind and the roof leaked in several places, but it was the only protection he had. He shuffled his grocery bags into his left hand and retrieved his phone from his pocket. He knew Rin wouldn't be able to help him, but he thought he should at least send a quick message to let him know where he was.

_To: Rin  
Sender: Nitori  
Subject: It's Raining  
Message: Hi Rin! I was on the way home from the supermarket but it's raining. I don't have an umbrella so I'm hiding in a bus shelter. Hopefully the rain will stop soon. I'll be home a little bit late. I'm sorry! From Ai._

Dark grey clouds rolled across the sky and Nitori had a sinking feeling in his stomach. It didn't look like the storm would be ending any time soon. He groaned faintly, a grim expression settling on his face, and sat down on the rickety bench, placing his grocery bags neatly beside him. On top of forgetting his umbrella, he'd also forgotten his jacket. The air had a sharp bite to it that sent a chill down his spine and every time a droplet of water his bare skin, it felt more like a shard of ice. He tried hard not to let his teeth chatter because his mother had always told him it was bad, but his arms were covered in goose-bumps and his entire body was shaking slightly.

Tapping his feet wasn't enough to distract himself and waiting in the cold alone was incredibly boring. He checked his phone and checked it again but there was no reply from Rin. Nitori bit his lip, hoping the boy wouldn't be mad with him. He considered playing a puzzle game to save the time, but decided against it. His phone battery was already at 30% and he wanted to save it in case the bus shelter collapsed on him and he needed to call an ambulance or something (which seemed very likely at this point considering the squealing sounds the joints were making). His phone buzzed dully in his hand, letting him know he had a new message, and his stomach flipped excitedly at the thought of Rin.

_To: Nitori  
Sender: Rin  
Subject: RE: It's Raining  
Message: Cool._

Even though he'd managed to stay mostly dry, Nitori suddenly felt like he was soaked to the bone from the rain. His relatively good mood plummeted, washing away with the rain and drifting down the footpath into the gutter. He folded his arms across his chest and shut his eyes tightly for a moment. He hadn't expected that kind of response. It seemed a little unfair. A little harsh even. He was stranded out here in a storm and Rin didn't even care? Nitori sighed deeply, supposing he should have known better.

A few more minutes passed. He checked his phone and realised he'd been waiting there for about 20 minutes now. The rain was pouring down relentlessly; definitely not looking like it would ease up any time soon. Nitori was still trembling involuntarily, hoping that he wouldn't get sick from being caught out like this. Maybe if he stayed dry he'd be fine. Although if the rain didn't stop soon he might just have to run home. He grumbled, not really looking forward to that idea. Suddenly, something caught his eye out on the road and he sat up straight, squinting through the rain and the mist to make out the figure of a person carrying an umbrella.

"Rin?" he asked incredulously as the figure grew closer. Nitori could make out the distinctive Samezuka jacket and he knew that strut anywhere. It was definitely Rin, but what was he doing here? Was he crazy?

Rin joined him under the bus shelter, a wide grin spread across his face. He folded the umbrella closed and leant it against the wall, looking Nitori up and down. "Hey, Ai. You look cold," he commented, not even hesitating to unzip his own jacket and drape it over the shorter boy's shoulders. They stood in silence for a moment with Nitori beaming at Rin, his face glowing like a very happy lamp. Rin cleared his throat and shuffled his feet, feeling a little bit awkward, but he ruffled Nitori's silver hair as a sign of endearment.

"Let's go then," Rin said, picking the umbrella up again. There wasn't much point in waiting around any longer. "I'll carry those too," he offered, swooping in to pick up Nitori's groceries before the boy could argue. They huddled under the transparent umbrella to avoid the rain. It was only just big enough to shield the both of them and they stumbled over each other's feet a little bit at first.

"Thanks for coming to get me," Nitori said shyly, his voice almost completely muffled by the sounds of the rain. Rin didn't say anything, but Nitori knew he'd heard him.


End file.
